I Give You My Heart
by Twisted Aria
Summary: Roland begins to wonder about love. The only clue he is given is that love is when you give your heart to someone. Set during season 3. Fluff of Outlaw Queen, but more focused on family. ONESHOT.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Once Upon A Time. Zero, Zilch, Nada.**

**This is honestly a one-shot of fluff. Enjoy! **

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"Daddy, what's love?" Roland asked as his father tucked him into bed.

"Well," Robin Hood paused. "What do you think love is?"

"I don't know," Roland replied. "Little John says it's a feeling that you feel so that you give your heart to someone. But I still don't understand."

"Roland, do you love me?" Robin asked.

"Yes."

"What does that feel like?"

"Well, you say you love me every day and you take care of me and hug me and kiss me goodnight."

"Then that's what love is."

"But, Daddy," Roland cried. "What does giving your heart mean?"

Robin once again paused to think of an answer that Roland would understand. "It's a part of love too. You need your heart to live, right?"

Roland nodded

Robin continued, "So when you give someone your heart, you trust them with your life."

"Oh," Roland nodded in understanding.

"Now goodnight, Roland," Robin said as he kissed his son's forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."

As Robin Hood left, Roland tried to fall asleep. Roland kept finding more questions invading his mind keeping him awake. As he got up to ask his father another question, he noticed Robin was leaving camp. Confused why his father was leaving the camp this late at night (after all, it was bedtime), Roland followed him past the Merry Men's camp and into the forest.

Roland ran to keep up with his father, but still remained quiet to keep attention from himself. He couldn't keep up with his short legs, and he got lost in the forest. The forest, now a dark and scary place compared to earlier that day, seemed to look different at night to Roland. Feeling alone and scared, Roland sat by a tree wondering where his father was. Then he heard a voice he recognized and his father's voice. Roland crept behind the trees and looked onto the scene before him. There stood a woman Roland felt like he should know and his father, now being given something that was faintly glowing red while it expanded and contracted.

"Would you mind holding onto this for a bit longer?" said the familiar voice.

While being distracted by the object, he missed his father's response or the women's next response, but since his father continued to hold the something in his hand, Roland concluded he must have said yes to the original question.

"You still owe me that drink," Robin called out to the women.

"Yes, I suppose I do," the woman replied before walking off.

The familiar woman was now out of sight. Forgetting the original question he was going to ask his father, he walked out behind the tree to ask him a new one.

"What is that, Daddy? It looks weird," Roland asked.

Robin turned around surprised to see his son standing before him.

"Roland! What are you doing out of bed?" Robin ran to his son and hugged him close, still holding the object. Letting go of his son, he tucked the object away. "The woods can be dangerous at night! You should know better than to go out here."

Roland lowered his head and mumbled an apology.

"I forgive you, but don't ever do that again, you understand?" Robin Hood asked, leading his son back to the camp.

"Daddy, what was that thing?"

Robin sighed, "Do you remember Regina Mills? The Evil Queen?"

"Yeah, kinda," Roland scrunched his eyebrows together slightly remembering meeting her.

"Well she gave me something important to hold on to. She gave me her heart," Robin replied.

"Her heart?" Roland's eyes widened and smiled as his little wheels turned in his brain. "Does that mean she loves you?"

Robin seemed to be at a loss for words as his eyes widened, not even considering the option before. "You know what," he said. "You need to go back to bed."

"Won't you answer the question?"

"I'll try to another day."

"So giving your heart isn't love?"

"Giving your heart is just an expression. It doesn't mean you actually give your heart to someone."

"Oh," Roland held his father's hand as they began to walk back to the camp. "Hey, Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"When you asked if you were getting a drink with her, what does that mean? Like getting an actual drink, or is that like love too?"

Robin sighed. "I'll explain it another day. You need to sleep."

As they got back to Roland's bed, Robin tucked him back in.

"Daddy, why would you want to drink together? Having a drink doesn't seem like an exciting thing. And what would you drink together?" Roland asked as his father kissed his forehead.

"Like I said, I'll explain it another night."

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**Thanks for reading! Review!**


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